Vehicle safety seat



Nov. 30, 1943. M. KOPPELMAN VEHICLE SAFETY SEAT Filed Sept. 8, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1NVENTORI Ko pelman Morris 6 Wro RA/Ey;

Patented Nov. 30, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE VEHICLE SAFETYSEAT Morris Koplielnian, sierra; Mauro, cam. Application September 8, 1941, Serial No. 409.990

67 cases This invention relates to motor vehicles andthe like and more especially to a saretyseat construction for the same.

An object of the invention is to provide a'sim+ ple, practical and inexpensive safety seat con:- struction of the character described.

Another object of the inventionis to provide 'a' safety seat construction for Vehicles adapted to prevent injury to the occupants thereof uporith'e impact of the vehicle with another vehicle or another object;

An additional object is to provide a safety seat structure for vehicles which will absorb and reduce the impact of a collision on one or both cars involved.

A further object is to provide a safety seat construction which will reduce the impact of either a front end or rear end engagement.

Another object is to provide a safety seat construction applicable to all the seats of a vehicle and adapted to be applied to vehicles before as well as after construction thereof.

Other objects and advantages will appear and be brought out more fully in the following, specific reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a form of the in,- vention as applied to a motor vehicle.

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View showing the seat in actuated position. I

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view partly broken away showing a modified form of seat pivoting means.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation view showing a modifled form of seat tilting means.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and especially to Figs. 1 to 5 I show in outline a motor vehicle having a frame 9, floor Ill, a drivers seat ll having a back portion Ila and a rear seat having a back portion I2a. Seats H and [2 are each provided with a pair of brackets l3 each having a pivot pin l4 for engagement with a floor bracket I5.

I show a front bumper l6 having a pair of rearwardly extending portions I? provided with slots Is for slidable movement on pins l9 secured to frame 9. Members 11 have curved end portions 20 and a guide bearing 2l is suitably secured to floor ill or to frame 9 for rod portions H. A bearing bar 22 is suitably secured to floor l0 and end portions 20 are secured to rods H; the one portions 28d being similarly positioned uiider rear seat l2; I a

I show a rear bumper 24 having forward-1y ex tending rod portions 25 slidably secured asby slotted brackets" zB t'o'f-rafne 9 by pins 2land having upwardly curved endportions 28' uiidr' rear seat l2 and adjacent a bearing bar 22a. A rod extension 25a is secured to each rod 25 and has an upwardly curved end portion 28a adjacent bearing bar 22 under seat [2.

By the construction as described it will be apparent that when front bumper I6 is pushed rearwardly upon impact of the vehicle with another vehicle or object, curved end portions 28 and 28a are raised by rods 22 and 22a and tilt seats II and I2 upwardly and backwardly as indicated by thedotted lines in Fig. 1 and in full lines in Figs. 4 and 5. In this backwardly tilting position the occupants of the seats will not be thrown forwardly and off the seats as other.- wise occurs in vehicles having fixed seat structures, when an impact occurs.

In Figs. 6 to 8 I show a modified form of seat pivoting and tilting means. In these figures I show a seat 38 having a cut-out portion 3| at the rear lower edge and a pair of brackets 32 secured thereto and having pivoting pins 33 for brackets 34 secured to side wall portions 35 of the vehicle body structure. I show rod sections [lb and 25b essentially similar rods ll and 25 pivotally secured at 35 and 36 respectively each to a bell crank 31 and 38 having pivot bearing brackets 39 and 40 suitably secured under floor Ill. A pair of plungers M are positioned below and support the forward portion of seat 30, each plunger 4! being provided with a pin 42 for engagement in a slot 43 in bell cranks 87 and 38. A spring 44 may be provided on each plunger 4| if desired, facilitating the return movement of rods Nb and 25b after actuation. I show a lost motion link 45 which may be important in rods Ho and 2512.

It will be clear that my invention as shown and described hereinabove is applicable to any type of vehicle having seats, such as passenger automobiles, buses, commercial trucks, army trucks and cars and airplanes, the essential features" thrown off forwardly upon the impact of the v-ehicle with another vehicle or object. By this invention the vehicle operation will be much safer since the injury to the passengers will be greatly reduced or even prevented. It will also be clear that the tilting of the seats will occur upon the impact from the rear as well as from the front and also the bumper actuated elements will operate upon a diagonal impact at a considerable angle.

While I have shown and described preferred forms of the invention, changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention what I claim mounted at a rear portion thereof and means to raise the front portion thereof upon the impact of said vehicle with another object, said means including a, rod extending beyond an end of said vehicle and having an operating member thereat.

2. In a vehicle as described, a seat pivotally mounted at a rear portion thereof-and means to raise the front portion thereof upon the impact of said vehicle with another object, said means including a rod extending beyond an end of said vehicle and. having an operating member thereat, said last means adapted to engage said mounted at a rear portion thereof and means to 1. In a vehicle as described, a seat pivotally raise the front portion thereof upon the impact of said vehicle with another object, said means including a rod extending beyond an end of said vehicle and having an operating member thereat, said rod having an upwardly turned end adapted to engage said seat upon impact of the operating member with another object.

4. In a Vehicle as described, a seat pivotally mounted at a rear portion thereof and means to raise the front portion thereof upon the'impact of said vehicle with another object, said means including a rod extending beyond an end of said vehicle and having an operating member thereat, link means adapted to engag said seat, a bell crank connected to said link and rod.

75. In a vehicle as described, a seat pivotally mounted therein substantially at the lower rear edge portion thereof, a bumper element adapted to be shifted upon the impact of said vehicle with another object and means adapted to be actuated by the shifting of said bumper element to raise the forward edge portion of said seat.

6. In a vehicle as described a seat adapted to be tilted upwardly and backwardly, a curved bumper element adapted to be shifted upon a diagonal impact of said vehicle with an object and mechanism operatively engageable with said seat to tilt said seat, said mechanism being adapted to be actuated by the shifting of said bumper element.

MORRIS KOPPELMAN. 

